December 2nd 2017 – Advent

December 2nd 2017 – Advent

December 2nd 2017 – Advent

December 1, 2017Judith Simms

I wonder if you are like me, and ask yourself, “where have the months of this year gone?” and you can’t quite believe that it is almost Christmas. I got really frustrated this year as in one of my local shops they had Halloween costumes, Christmas decorations and Easter crafts all on sale at the same time! My favourite stupidity though was a Christmas cake that had to be eaten before November 30th 2017!

I love the fact that the four week period before Christmas is called ADVENT, and that ADVENT is the beginning of the word ADVENTURE, for that is what God in Christ came on: he embarked on an Adventure to find great treasure, and the treasure he found is us. The parable Jesus told of the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:35-36) is a parable of the Adventure he came on, and he gave everything he had – even his own life – for each one of us.

As a child I never understood why, when it was Jesus’ birthday, we got the presents, we got the cake and we got the parties; wasn’t he upset? I know I would have been. But Christmas is all about generosity to others, and it all began when God in Christ came into our world as a vulnerable human baby. No one expected God to come in such a way, yet in doing so Jesus entered fully into our humanity so that we can now enter fully into his divinity. This first Advent had been in the planning since the dawn of creation. That is actually mind-blowing, and through the Advent Season you may find yourself tracing the prophecies and seeing them fulfilled, but the Adventure isn’t over because we are not only looking back but forward to him coming again – the ADVENTURE is not over yet!

“Sing we the King who is coming to reign”: this is our song and our hope. May this Advent season be a new Adventure for you as you explore the coming of Christ both past, present and future.

Adventurous God, who stepped into the world as one of us, thank you that you loved us enough to identify with your creation and loved us even more to die for us. When we sing “Love came down at Christmas” none of us can fully comprehend what that really means, except that because you came, we can now know you and your love to the uttermost. Lord when I am scared of the adventure of my life before me remind me that you have been there before me, and that you are here with me always, your Spirit guiding me and your love surrounding me, and as I move towards Christmas, may I understand more fully how precious I am to you.Amen.